“My biggest advice to new agents would be ‘Do it scared,’” says REALTORⓇ Niso Ulmasova. “There are a lot of intimidating factors in our industry. Especially as a young agent, it can be tough going through deals and having to prove yourself in the midst of seasoned agents. But ‘doing it scared,’ making mistakes and, of course, learning from them is key.”

 

Over the course of her life and career, Niso has had to do many things while feeling unsure of herself. She moved to the US from Tajikistan with her mother and brother at age nine. The family knew nothing of their new home except for what they had seen in movies and from popular culture, and they did not speak English. Niso and her younger brother leaned on their mother for support.

 

“My mom has survived unthinkable challenges in life and was able to come out of every adversity gracefully,” says Niso. “As a single parent, she paved the way for us to have a wonderful life, and through it all, she taught me what it means to push through and never give up. Her work ethic is truly unmatched.”

 

Niso pursued a degree in business administration from the University of Colorado Boulder with an emphasis in real estate and entrepreneurship. With the itch to get out of the classroom and into the real world, Niso completed her degree in just three years thanks to putting in extra work during breaks and downtime. That extra work included internships in various roles in commercial, residential, and even luxury vacation home real estate. Throughout, the role of a REALTORⓇ called to her.

 

“I knew that with my personality, I could not be stuck in an office eight hours a day,” says Niso. “Building my own business and brand was another driving factor, as was the ability to run it how I saw fit. I also like the human touch: to see my clients and work with friends and family.”

 

During her last semester of college, Niso was connected with her future mentor who just happened to be located in the Chicago suburbs. Once again facing her fears, Niso took a big leap of faith and moved to a new place with no connections and no local knowledge. Adding to the degree of difficulty, this move came in June 2020, during the thick of the market disruptions caused by the pandemic.

 

“Starting my real estate journey in the heat of the pandemic was not the glamorous career launch I’d imagined,” she says. “But I was able to learn the ins and outs of the business and industry in a highly unusual, constantly changing and yet-to-be ‘normal,’ very competitive market.”

 

“At first, it seemed impossible to make friends or grow my book of clients,” Niso explains. “How could anyone trust a twenty-two-year-old who doesn’t know a thing about Chicago? But after about a year as an apprentice, I had over fifty deals under my belt and was able to grow my expertise. I learned how to manage deals and navigate challenging, emotional client outbursts (and even some agents’ outbursts), all with the help of my mentor.”

 

Next, Niso moved to Chicago where she tried to meet as many people as possible to grow her network. She’s been working with the DG Advisors Group at Fulton Grace Realty for over two years now, and each year, she hosts four to five major events, giving herself the opportunity to make new connections and educate them on real estate. As a kid, Niso was constantly organizing gatherings and hosting get-togethers, and now, she leverages that natural skill to help others navigate their daunting real estate situations.

 

“To me, the most rewarding part of this business is the blessing of being able to work with friends and friends of friends,” says Niso. “I appreciate being their one-stop-shop. It brings me joy to be their guide and comfort with a life-changing decision. But I especially appreciate, once our deal is completed, hearing their stories about their journey, and how I made the process simple and was a drama-free shoulder to lean on.”

 

Looking forward, Niso sees limitless possibilities for her career and future reach. She hopes to expand into real estate investments both in the Chicagoland area and across the world. Her plans are big, but she’s never shied away from a potentially scary proposition.

 

“Ever since college, I’ve had plans for developing properties that integrate vertical farming,” she says. “Especially in areas where food deserts are more prominent, I dream of [helping to develop] future communities where we share with our neighbors and create a more sustainable style of living.”

 

Reflecting back on her brief career so far, Niso is glad she ‘did it scared’ and took that initial leap of faith into real estate. She sees it as her path toward a successful and fulfilling life and career. Her source for inspiration and motivation, through all the scary moments, continues to be her strong connections with her family and community.

 

“My ‘why’ has always been my family and being able to support them in every way,” says Niso. And now, more than ever, the chance to also positively impact the people around me who are in need.” I understand growing my business will be an uphill battle given that I started at zero, but I’ve been blessed thus far. I genuinely believe my career in real estate is a gateway to success.”